On the rooftop
by hye-kyo
Summary: Another year, another waiting. Just as when Kaoru decided to accept her fate, a view of the fireworks from the rooftop might just alter the whole situation. Just one kiss is necessary, and Kenshin might be more than willing to give that kiss...one-shot


On the rooftop

by hye-kyo

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**Disclaimer: **Nope, RK isn't mine...

**Author's Notes: **This is just a drabble...something I suddenly thought of. Well, I don't know if this is good.

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Kaoru glanced at the man she had loved for so long. He was busy preparing the feast for tonight's celebration. How long had it been? Three years, three years of continuously loving him, no matter how real the pain was. She turned back to the dishes and to the pots she was washing.

Sano was setting up the firecrackers at the porch with Ayumi. The younger child was sleeping in Kaoru's bedroom, she had instructed Yahiko to wake the child up ten minutes before twelve so that she be able to watch the fireworks display. Megumi was at the family hall with Gensai-sensei preparing the dining table.

She dried the pot with a cloth. She knew this New Year's celebration would be as happy as the last one. She was glad, it has been three years since they all started celebrating New Year together.

"Kaoru-dono?"

She turned. It was him. She smiled, how she loves him. "Doushite Kenshin?"

He smiled back, "Are you done with the pot?"

She ran the cloth one last time around the mouth of the pot as she handed it to him. "Are you done?"

"Almost," he said, going back to his spot at the other end of the kitchen counter, "I just need to transfer the sukiyaki."

"I bet I'll gain a couple more pounds after tonight," she teased as she followed him to look at what he was doing.

"Don't worry Kaoru-dono," he said smiling, "You'll still fit into your kimonos."

"Baka," she playfully punched him. She fell silent as she watched his back. She knew that after all these years she could never have him. His heart belonged to one woman, and his heart would continue to belong to that one woman. It was hard to accept it at first, but after three long years of enduring it, she had learned to understand it. Maybe that was fatalistic of her, but at least now she could laugh with him more naturally amid the great pain.

"Kaoru-dono?" he suddenly asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"A-ah?" she asked, losing her composure.

"Are you okay?" his face showed concern.

She broke into a smile, "Of course."

"Really?"

She turned around and then went back to the sink, "Of course. I'm just thinking of something."

Kenshin shot her another worried look, "And what are you thinking about?"

She then turned to him and sticking out her tongue she teased him, "It's a secret!"

---

Kenshin glanced at her as he ladled some of the contents of the pot into a porcelain bowl. He knew it has been three years since they first met. Every new year brings back memories of that first fated meeting. And every time he thinks about it makes him laugh.

He wondered if that was also the thing she was thinking about. She seemed sad, contrary to the smiles she had been showing him and to everybody else. It was at that moment when she seemed so real. He was worried.

"Kaoru-dono," he started.

"Hn?" she asked, now turning to wipe the area around the sink.

"Do you remember last New Year?" he asked, "We watched the fireworks from the rooftop."

She smiled, "Yes, I remember. You almost slipped down."

He reddened and he turned to her, "I did that on purpose."

"Really?" she was now laughing.

"Because I wanted to make you laugh."

She stopped, walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She looked serious for a while and eventually broke into a fit of laughter, "Well you really did!"

Kenshin pouted, "Don't tease me."

"Sorry, I can't help it," she said between laughs. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them with the back of her hand, "I'm trying hard to stop but I just can't…" and then she broke into a laugh again.

Kenshin smiled, "Go ahead laugh at me." And then he joined her laughing.

---

She excused herself as she wiped the corners of her eyes. She told Kenshin she had to go to the bathroom and wash her face.

She locked the door and eventually found herself crying. Laughing was good but it was making her pain more salient. The fact that he could laugh with him meant she was accepting that fact that he could never be hers. It was the hard sad fact.

But still it hurt.

---

"The food's ready," Kenshin announced as he placed the main dish in the middle of the low dining table. Sano rushed to take his seat, followed by the two children and then Yahiko tailing behind.

"Looks good," Gensai-sensei remarked as he took a seat beside Yahiko.

"Of course, Ken-san made them," Megumi placed a platter of buns on the table, "Where's Kaoru?"

Kenshin took a seat, saving a space beside him for Kaoru, "She went to the bathroom."

"It's almost twelve," Yahiko said, glancing at the night sky. "You could almost hear the fireworks."

"The porch is mine!" Sano abruptly announced, "I had set up the pillows so I could watch it from there."

Kenshin laughed as Megumi threw him a bowl.

"Just don't mess with my spot," Yahiko glared at Sano.

"I won't," and Sano dived in.

---

The countdown was quick and exciting. Sano was sprawled on the porch waiting for the fireworks together with the two children. Yahiko was beside them, popping sweet candies into his mouth. Gensai-sensei and Megumi were drinking tea watching the sky from inside. Kenshin pulled the shoji to allow them to see more.

Kaoru sipped tea from her cup and just at the moment Kenshin sat down beside Gensai-sensei and just as Kaoru looked up, the sky brightened as if an enormous moon had just risen. The fireworks display had started. It's New Year.

Kaoru smiled. The start of the fourth year it means. She turned to look at Kenshin's tilted face. The smile on his face was enough for her. Seeing him happy was more than she could ask. It would be gluttonous of her to ask for more.

She slowly and silently made her way out of the family hall, wanting to find that spot she had often reserved for herself. She made the steep climb towards the rooftop and just as she reached the top an overwhelming sight of red and orange flashed through the sky, telling her that another year has passed.

---

Kenshin noticed her disappearance. He saw her crept up slowly towards the rooftop and grinning he followed her. The stairs were creaking and it took him a while before he was finally able to make it without letting her know.

He stepped up and found her looking up at the sky, her legs tucked close to her chest. Her face was basked with a mellow glow just as the orange glows faded from the sky. He quietly made his way towards her.

"You're here," he said as a red glow zoomed in the air and exploded. He sat beside her.

Kaoru turned to him, "How did you know?"

"I saw you and," he said, looking at the sky, "And I followed."

"This is my spot," she said, recalling how Sano claims the porch every New Year.

Kenshin grinned.

"It is beautiful ne?"

He nodded, "Hai, it is." He glanced at her, "Really beautiful."

"Hai," she said, basking in the glow. She loved the fireworks.

---

They watched without talking as the fireworks exploded in the sky continuously, lighting the night. Kaoru couldn't hear herself thinking because of the loud explosions. She knew it was good, because she knew she would only think about how miserable she has become and that would definitely ruin her mood.

"Don't you think we should visit Misao this coming month?" Kenshin said as he turned.

Kaoru looked at him, "Eh? I didn't quite catch that." She turned towards the sky.

"I said don't you think we should visit Misao this coming month?" he repeated.

She didn't turn to him and that told him she didn't hear anything.

He inched closer, about to whisper into her ear.

"Are you saying some—" Kaoru slowly turned and in that instant her lips collided with his in the briefest of moment. A firecracker exploded in the sky. She quickly leaned back, surprised.

Kenshin was shocked himself, unable to move from his spot. His eyes remained glued to her, his hands remained steadied from where he had placed them when he leant forward.

Kaoru reddened and suddenly amid the all the noises she could hear her heart beating wildly. "Kenshin—"

"Kaoru-dono…" he managed to say. He gazed at her moist lips. It was brief yet it was undeniably a kiss. Now he was feeling the most amazing, most unexplainable urge to do just that again. He swallowed hard.

The sky lighted up just as a series of firecrackers exploded in the air. Kaoru was unable to move. How could she when Kenshin was leaning towards her? This was the moment she had been dreaming of all her life and it happened in such a short time. She cannot even recall the feel of it. How disappointing!

Kenshin focused on her slightly gaped lips, "Kaoru-dono…"

"H-hai?" she managed to say, her voice barely a whisper. Kenshin was leaning closer and she was leaning back.

"I think…I think—" and he cut himself off as he slowly captured her mouth in his. The first kiss after the accident was tentative, until Kenshin grew bolder and started moving in a way he had never done so. He felt so giggly, so mushy and all of a sudden he realized what he had been missing all his life: Her. He knew it.

Kaoru unconsciously slid her hands around his nape, her fingers diving to bury themselves in his rich hair. She was pulling him closer, just as what he was doing. And nothing matters anymore because it was good. It was really good. She tilted her head, allowing him to move. Maybe it was intuition, or reflex, whatever it was she knew how to kiss even though it was her first.

Kenshin had been forcing himself not to push her down any further. If he would continue letting his weight fall on her she would end up lying on the rooftop and he knew how uncomfortable the roof tiles were. He tightened his hold around her waist just as Kaoru started to pull back for lack of air.

Her eyes were wide as saucers as she slowly calmed herself. She was trembling, her knees were shaking underneath her, her muscles felt kneaded until she felt them slowly melting; she felt she might just collapse.

"Kaoru-dono…" he started but was unable to continue. He swallowed hard and saw his reflection in her blue eyes. She looked so ethereal, her white skin glowing against the night. Her lips were a bit swollen and red giving that thoroughly-kissed look. Her cheeks were flushed and she was fidgeting. He was about to try saying something when the bell from the nearby shrine started ringing. It was New Year.

"Happy New Year…" she whispered and amid her fidgeting, she leaned closer and gave him a quick peck on his right cheek.

He broke into a smile and quickly pulled her close, resting his chin on her shoulders. "Happy New Year. This is indeed a new year."

---

It was last year. After that Kaoru could say they had been more intimate—Kenshin holding her hands as they made their way to the market, Kenshin giving her a kiss every night. By mid February Kenshin had proposed to her and she eventually accepted. Sano paid Megumi a bundle of cash since it became apparent that he lost the bet they made: Sano saying that Kenshin will proposed at least after five more years and Megumi saying that Kenshin will propose within the year. Megumi won and Sano was bankrupt.

"Women, they are scary," Sano commented as he handed her the cash.

"We are not scary. We are just intelligent," Megumi said, laughing.

Kaoru dressed up in a white ensemble on the day of her marriage. It came two months after they were engaged. Although they had known each other for a couple of years Kaoru was still very shy about him during the ceremony, causing her to drop the veil twice. Kenshin only chuckled at her which made her fidget more.

The first night was another story. They sat on the futon looking down on their laps. It was Kenshin who spoke up first.

"I…I…" and he laughed nervously.

Kaoru blushed. Resolving to take the matters into her own hands, she inched closer and said, "I'm happy…that we are finally together…"

Kenshin couldn't help but smile, "I am too." And he kissed her.

In a matter of nine months Kaoru gave birth to a little Kenshin. They named him Kenji, after his father.

And so Kaoru sat on the rooftop with barely-a-month-old Kenji in her arms. Megumi and the others were preparing food for the coming celebration. She kissed her child's round cheeks and said, "You little Kenshin!" and she tickled him.

Kenshin came abruptly, taking his seat beside her. "You're having fun."

"It's almost New Year," Kaoru said, turning to her husband.

"Yes," he said, "So many things have happened."

"And it's all within a year," she said, amusement showing through her face. "Wonderful isn't it?"

"Very," he whispered in her ear.

She punched him playfully and closed her eyes for a kiss.

Just as he was leaning towards her Kenji made a laughing sound. That made them both turn to the child.

"He wants to go to you," Kaoru said, depositing Kenji on his father's lap.

Kenshin poked the child's nose, "You want to see the fireworks?" he said and the child giggled.

Kaoru looked into the sky, "It's about to start," she said, as if on reverie. It was just last year, yet it seemed like it had been a lot of years ago. But the memory was vivid and fresh. "Many New Years ago it was only me, then you came and there were two of us. Now there's three of us sitting here waiting for another year."

Kenshin smiled. He had placed an arm around her shoulder just as the sky lighted up, signaling the start of the yearly fireworks display. He pulled her closer, watched her smiling face and turned to Kenji who was laughing and clapping his hands. He leaned closer to his wife and whispered slyly, "Maybe next New Year there would be four of us."

She turned to him with an arched brow, "Baka," and she punched him. She broke into a smile just as Kenshin pouted. She pulled him close, their child between them. Her hands were around his shoulders.

"Want to kiss me?" he asked, teasing her.

"Maybe," she teased back and started to lean towards him.

Kenshin spoke just as Kaoru halted to look at his expression, "Happy New Year koishii."

Kaoru clucked her tongue and looked hard at him, "Say that again."

"Happy New Year _koishii_," he obediently replied.

She then broke into a grin and whispered as she pulled herself closer, "Happy New Year too…_anata_," and she closed the distance between them.

-

_Owari_

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**A/n: **So how was it? Not much eh? But I do hope you'll find time to send me a review. Thanks a lot!

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